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Receipt scanner apps are a convenient way to keep track of your expenses and save important documents digitally. These apps allow you to scan and store receipts, invoices and other important documents easily using your smartphone. Not only do they save you time and physical space, but they also provide easy organization and accessibility of your documents.
Whether you are a small business owner, freelancer or simply want to keep track of your personal expenses, a receipt scanner app can be a valuable tool. Read on to discover Forbes Advisor’s top picks for the best receipt scanner apps of 2024.
Featured Partner
1
QuickBooks Online
$30 per month
Yes
No
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
To find the best receipt scanner apps, we considered more than 25 of the leading providers in the space and narrowed it down to 11, which we then evaluated across five key categories and 24 different metrics. Our ratings consider factors such as transparent pricing, key features, unique features and inclusions, ease of use compatibility with third-party integrations, access to customer support and ratings. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
| COMPANY | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting price | Mobile app | Document management | Learn More | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Expense |  |
5.0 |  |
Free; $4 per user, per month (three-user minimum) | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Read Forbes' review | |
| Veryfi |  |
4.8 |  |
Free; 8 cents per document ($500 per month minimum) | Yes | Yes | View More | ||
| Expensify |  |
4.6 | |
Free; $5 per user, per month | Yes | No | View More | ||
| Wave |  |
4.6 | |
Free | Yes | No | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| QuickBooks Online |  |
4.3 | |
$30 per month | Yes | No | Learn More | On QuickBooks' Website | |
| Shoeboxed |  |
4.1 |  |
$18 per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | View More | ||
| ABUKAI Expenses |  |
4.1 | |
Free; $99 per year | Yes | Add-on | View More | ||
| Evernote Scannable |  |
4.1 | |
Free; $10.83 per user, per month | Yes | Yes | View More | ||
| Dext Prepare |  |
4.0 | |
$199 per month (billed annually; based on 10 clients) | Yes | Yes | View More | ||
| Neat |  |
3.9 | |
$200 per year | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Read Forbes' review |
A receipt scanner app is a mobile application that allows users to scan and digitize paper receipts using their phone’s camera. The app typically includes optical character recognition (OCR) technology that converts the scanned text into digital data that can be stored and organized in the app or exported to other systems. Receipt scanner apps are often used for expense tracking, budgeting and financial record-keeping and may also offer features such as receipt categorization, data integration with accounting software and receipt storage.
Some benefits of receipt scanner apps include:
Some essential features to consider when choosing the best receipt scanner app include:
There are several types of receipt scanner apps available, each with different features and capabilities. Some common types of receipt scanner apps include:
These apps are designed specifically for scanning and managing receipts and may include features such as OCR technology, receipt categorization and integration with other financial management tools.
These apps focus on tracking and managing expenses and may include receipt scanning capabilities as well as features such as budgeting, bill payment and integration with accounting software.
These apps are tailored to the needs of specific types of businesses, such as freelancers, small businesses or corporate organizations and may offer features such as customizable expense policies, approval workflows and integration with payroll systems.
Some receipt scanner apps offer additional features beyond receipt scanning and expense tracking, such as document storage, collaboration tools or project management capabilities.
Integrations are important in a receipt scanner app because they allow users to seamlessly connect the app to other financial management tools and systems, such as accounting software, bank accounts and payroll systems. These can reduce the time and effort required to manage financial data by automatically transferring information between different systems and eliminating the need for manual data entry.
The cost of receipt scanner apps can vary widely depending on the features and capabilities of the app, as well as the pricing model and subscription options offered. Some receipt scanner apps are free to use, with optional paid upgrades or premium features while others charge a subscription fee for access to all features. Prices for paid receipt scanner apps may range from a few dollars per month to several hundred dollars per year, depending on the app and the subscription plan selected.
To use a receipt scanner app, you will typically need to follow these steps:
Featured Partner
1
QuickBooks Online
$30 per month
Yes
No
To determine the best receipt scanner apps for small businesses, Forbes Advisor researched providers in the space and narrowed it down to the 11 top providers. We analyzed these across five primary categories for a total of 24 different metrics. The criteria were then weighted to favor features that matter most to small businesses. The best apps had the best overall scores based on our methodology.
To determine the best receipt scanner app, the following methodology was used:
The app’s pricing model and subscription options were evaluated to gauge affordability and value for price. This includes the monthly price, as well as minimum user requirements, contract lengths, free trials and money-back guarantees.
The app was evaluated based on the presence and quality of essential features such as OCR accuracy, receipt categorization, integration with other financial management tools and ease of use. Below are the key features analyzed.
In addition to the app’s core feature set and overall functionality, we also evaluated the inclusion of additional features. This category includes the availability of software integrations, compliance, corporate card features and reporting and analytics.
To get a good understanding of how users tend to find the apps, we considered a range of third-party ratings and user reviews. We looked at both the average rating, but also the number of reviews each app had to ensure that the sample size was large enough to draw meaningful conclusions.
Lastly, we added in our own first-hand experience and expertise with these apps. This enables us to add qualitative metrics, such as ease of use, overall experience, quality of support, value for price and popularity.
Receipt scanner apps typically use security measures such as encryption, password protection and secure servers to protect user data. Some apps may also be compliant with industry regulations, such as HIPAA or GDPR. It is important to carefully review the security measures of any receipt scanner app before using it and to use strong passwords and other security best practices to protect your data.
Receipt scanner apps can be a useful tool for individuals and businesses looking to organize and track their financial transactions and expenses. These apps allow users to easily digitize and organize paper receipts, extract important information from them using OCR technology and categorize and tag the receipts for easy tracking and management.
Using a receipt scanner is ideal for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint and/or their paper costs as they allow their receipts and expense records to become digital records instead. Receipt scanners also make it simple to keep track of receipts, especially when it comes to doing yearly tax filings. If you have employees who work remotely, it makes it easier for them to send in receipts digitally rather than by mail or fax.
If you don’t want an actual app to scan receipts, you can use the built-in Notes app on your phone. Select the camera button, then Scan Documents to snap the receipt. Then, you can save it or add more documents.
